Living in the Past is a double album quasi-compilation collection by Jethro Tull, which contains album tracks, out-takes, the "Life Is a Long Song" EP, and all of their singles except for "Aeroplane", "Sunshine Day", "One for John Gee", "17" and the original United Kingdom version of "Teacher" Many of the tracks only appeared as British releases before being compiled on Living in the Past for the first time in the American market. The album was named after the single released in May 1969 and was released in an elaborate gate-fold packaging that contained a large colour photo booklet with over 50 photos of the band. Two songs, "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma for One", were recorded live at Carnegie Hall. "Love Story", "Christmas Song", "Living in the Past", "Driving Song", "Sweet Dream" and "Witches' Promise" were originally released as mono singles and remixed into stereo for inclusion on the album. In the United States, Living in the Past was the first Jethro Tull album to appear on the Chrysalis Records label; while each of the band's previous albums were marked as "a Chrysalis Production", the albums were released by Warner Bros. Records' Reprise Records subsidiary. "Witch's Promise" was in cluded in this album release and went on to be a classic to watch on TOTP in 1970.
Lend me your ear while I call you a fool.
You were kissed by a witch one night in the wood,
and later insisted your feelings were true.
The witch's promise was coming,
believing he listened while laughing you flew.
Leaves falling red, yellow, brown, all are the same,
and the love you have found lay outside in the rain.
Washed clean by the water but nursing its pain.
The witch's promise was coming, and you're looking
elsewhere for your own selfish gain.
Keep looking, keep looking for somewhere to be,
well, you're wasting your time, they're not stupid like he is.
Meanwhile leaves are still falling, you're too blind to see.
You won't find it easy now, it's only fair.
He was willing to give to you, you didn't care.
You're waiting for more but you've already had your share.
The witch's promise is turning, so don't you wait up
for him, he's going to be late.
The nterpretation of the lyrics of "Witch's Promise" is attributed to the story of Judas in the gospels. Reading between the lines it's Anderson's snapshot of the motivation, actions and aftermath of Judas. Judas approaches Jesus with the chief priests and band of soldiers in the garden of Gethsamane. "you were kissed one night in the wood" in other verses Anderson hammers home the betrayal and the emotions of what happened. Picking up the theme of betrayal our devotional passage this morning is in John 18 where we return to the garden of Gethsamane and find Jesus being betrayed by Judas.
You were kissed by a witch one night in the wood,
and later insisted your feelings were true.
The witch's promise was coming,
believing he listened while laughing you flew.
Leaves falling red, yellow, brown, all are the same,
and the love you have found lay outside in the rain.
Washed clean by the water but nursing its pain.
The witch's promise was coming, and you're looking
elsewhere for your own selfish gain.
Keep looking, keep looking for somewhere to be,
well, you're wasting your time, they're not stupid like he is.
Meanwhile leaves are still falling, you're too blind to see.
You won't find it easy now, it's only fair.
He was willing to give to you, you didn't care.
You're waiting for more but you've already had your share.
The witch's promise is turning, so don't you wait up
for him, he's going to be late.
The nterpretation of the lyrics of "Witch's Promise" is attributed to the story of Judas in the gospels. Reading between the lines it's Anderson's snapshot of the motivation, actions and aftermath of Judas. Judas approaches Jesus with the chief priests and band of soldiers in the garden of Gethsamane. "you were kissed one night in the wood" in other verses Anderson hammers home the betrayal and the emotions of what happened. Picking up the theme of betrayal our devotional passage this morning is in John 18 where we return to the garden of Gethsamane and find Jesus being betrayed by Judas.
Betrayal. An abandonment or violation of trust by someone close to you. A husband betrayed by his wife. An employee passed over for a promotion by an employer who had promised it. A secret between friends brought to light for all to see. A promise made to a child so easily broken by a parent. How do we deal with that inevitable betrayal that will affect us in our everyday lives of work and family?
In our own lives we may have many stories to tell of betryal that has happened to us. Perhaps we have been rejected and abandoned by someone very close to us, someone we trusted closely with secrets, struggles, and victories in life. A person we have counted as part of our lives who then demostrates that they have only contempt for us after all. Perhaps the pain of the betrayal was intense, and we were left feeling devalued and lost.
In a much more intense way, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot into the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. The mental anguish caused by the betrayal of Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples and closest friends, is an often overlooked aspect of Jesus’ suffering for us. He had invested in Judas. He loved Judas. He cared intensely for Judas. He was discouraged, just like we are in moments of betrayal. He hurt. Felt pain. Wept.
The preliminary stages of Judas’ betrayal are recorded in John 18 and other gospels as well especially the gospel of Matthew. One of the question's we may ask when confronted by the betrayal of Judas is "What internal anguish did Jesus feel grappling with the reality that Judas had sold him out?" Especially in His humanity? We often respond to abandonment or betrayal in anger, by dwelling on the circumstances. In our lives and circumstances, we often seek to get even or make our betrayers suffer intensely for how they’ve wronged us. We see a proper model of how to handle betrayal by Jesus, however.
We read in Hebrews that Jesus understands all that we encounter and are tempted with, yet did not sin in His own temptations. He pressed on to the task that he was called to by the Father. Though Jesus’ internal struggle with Judas’ betrayal is not recorded, we can assume that it was difficult for Him emotionally. We know that he instructed Judas to do what he’d set his mind to. He didn’t stop him or throw a fit. We also know that Jesus responded to Judas graciously. Jesus could never be accused of being a pushover, but He framed His response to Judas’ betrayal with kindness and graciousness.
If we have been betrayed by someone close to us—and eventually we all will—our first response is to learn from the betryal of Jesus by Judas in the garden. Here we see a person (Jesus) displaying his strength in weakness. We see a measured gracious response. Not something that is full of accusations by understanding and love, even. Have you been abandoned or betrayed? Have you had those closest to you hang you out to dry? Have you poured your life, time energy, wisdom into an individual only to have them reject you and your care for them? Are you facing betrayal now even today? How are you responding? The story of Jesus and Judas in the garden stands as an example of care that sees through the betrayal and refuses to be broken by it.
It's my prayer today that we have the strength, patience and wisdom to continue on in life, despite the pitfalls of betrayal. That we can be better people than the betrayers. That we can find ways of rising above the "Betrayal" moment and find peace and calm in the middle of the storm.
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